So you’ve been asked to judge an event. What’s next? Here are my #TuesdayTips for judging a competition (any competition!)
Ask questions of the organizer!
If you’re unsure about the judging criteria or scoring method, now is the time to ask before competitors take the stage!
Follow the scoring guidelines as given to you.
Don’t improvise! If the scoring is whole numbers 1-10 like #MissAmerica, then score in whole numbers! Don’t add anything like decimal places or ++. Improvising makes the tabulation process run way longer than it has to. I promise you the tabulator is cursing you when having to deal with this.
Score in the moment.
Don’t wait until after the competitor you’re judging has left the stage and the next one is on stage to write your scores. It’s easy to forget details if you’re waiting until they hit their final mark.
Sign your score sheets!
If you have an assigned judge’s number, put that on your score sheets! This makes it much easier for the runner or tabulator to check with you in the event of an issue later on.
Ethics.
While this is my last tip, it’s the most important. If you have any kind of relationship with any of the competitors you are scoring, you must let the event organizer know before you begin scoring anyone. At any competition, there’s a high probability that a judge will know someone competing. It really is a small world, after all. How judges and organizers handle that situation speaks volumes. If you, as a judge, can’t be objective, it’s your duty to let the organizer know up front and so they can handle the situation.
#ProfessionalPageantry #PageantHR #NotJustPageants #Competition #Dance